Activate Your Money

Educate yourself about finance and socially conscious investing with a woman-centered approach

Activate Your Money provides the foundational support women need to talk to each other about their money, invest to grow their wealth, and to take the actions required to shift their assets into alignment with their values. Written for smart, savvy women who want to feel financially empowered, Activate Your Money starts where other personal finance books leave off. It delivers the depth of information you need to make informed investment decisions across your entire portfolio. Starting with checking and savings accounts and proceeding asset class by asset class, this book provides you with core investment knowledge, as well as concrete examples about how and where you can invest your money in alignment with your values.

You don't have to do it alone. As women, our strength is in relationships, and this book will help you use that strength to attain better financial outcomes for yourself and your family. Activate Your Money will help you find communities of support and position you to share your knowledge with other women and enable the next generation of smart, confident values-aligned investors. Activate Your Money also includes a companion website that contains downloadable tools you can use to take action and a curriculum that guides women through the process of starting and running their own values-aligned investment clubs.

• Step up your relationship with money and recognize the power you have to change the world through your investment decisions
• Demystify financial lingo, learn investment strategies, and acquire tools to help you grow your wealth
• Explore values-aligned investment options, asset class by asset class, and make informed decisions about where to put your money
• Break the taboo on discussing money with partners, advisors, friends, and daughters

Unlike any other investing book out there, Activate Your Money offers expert guidance, a uniquely woman-centered approach, and a focus on doing good while doing well. Whether you are just starting out or are already a seasoned investor, this book has something for you. Use it as a reference that you can return to again and again as you build your knowledge, confidence, and values-aligned portfolio.

Auteur

JANINE FIRPO is a seasoned values-aligned investor and social innovator. She has a long history of working at the intersection of women and their money. From Apple Computer to the World Bank to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Janine has always found herself making an impact. Today, she supports women-led businesses and pioneering financial models through her role as lead investor in the Next Wave Impact Fund and board chair of Zebras Unite.

Contenu

Preface: Welcome to a Brave New World xiii

Part 1 Establishing Your Foundation 1

Chapter 1 Values-Aligned Investing: Step into Your Financial Power 3

Chapter 2 Your Relationship with Money: Invest with Your Heart and Mind 15

Chapter 3 Your Financial Foundation: Master Some Core Principles 31

Part 2 Crafting an Aligned Portfolio 53

Chapter 4 Cash: Activate Your Savings and Checking Accounts 55

Chapter 5 Cash Alternatives: Yield Higher Returns for Idle Cash 77

Chapter 6 Fixed Income: Grasp the Potential of Bonds 87

Chapter 7 Public Equities: Invest in the Stock Market with Confidence 113

Chapter 8 Public Equities: Select Values-Aligned Investments 133

Chapter 9 Private Investments: Explore Private Debt, Private Equity, and Angel Investing 153

Chapter 10 Alternative Investments: Achieve Deeper Diversification and Impact 177

Chapter 11 Maximize Your Philanthropy: Finish with Grants and Concessionary Investing 199

Part 3 Building a Community of Support 221

Chapter 12 Professional Support: Find Values-Aligned Financial Advisors 223

Chapter 13 Retirement Accounts: Build Values into IRAs and Employer Plans 243

Chapter 14 Gather Your Friends: Get Together for Fun and Profit 261

Conclusion Stepping into Your Financial Future 273

Glossary 275

Acknowledgments 285

About the Author 289

Index 291